Chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation Bishop Gregory Collie has announced today that the corporation is re-launching the Bahamarts Festival which is set to be held on November 1 and 2 at the Heritage Village, Arawak Cay.
The corporation’s flagship event is being held under the theme “Bahamian Tings”. The Chairman said BAIC’s mission is to bring together artists and artisans from throughout the Bahamas to cultivate a craft village to display Bahamian-made products, souvenirs and gift items for sale to Bahamians and visitors alike.
According to Bishop Collie, since February of this year, BAIC has trained over 180 persons in various workshops on conch shell carving, sea shell craft, soap making, straw craft and food processing. The workshops were held in Grand Bahama, Central Andros, Exuma, Bimini and New Providence.
Bishop Collie said the workshops provided an economic stimulus for the participants. The Bahamarts Festival will provide some of those same workshop participants and budding entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase and sell their authentically Bahamian-made items. Bishop Collie said when all is said and done he would like to see many of the items offered for sale on the local and international market with the label “made in the Bahamas”.
During the official re-launch of the Bahamarts Festival at BAIC Training Center, Acting General Manager Ms. Debbie Strachan presented an overview of the activities planned for the two-day event. She said the festival will feature the popular Pop Up Farmers’ Market, a battle of High School and Junior High school Bands, demonstrations of bread baking, bennie cake and coconut cake, straw plaiting and conch shell carving, a fashion show and Junkanoo Rush-out. Ms. Strachan is encouraging artists and artisans to sign up to become a part of this great cultural event.